Add more of this popular protein source to salads and more
Best to buy
Walnuts are available year-round and harvested beginning in August.
Cut & clean
Walnuts are sold in the shell and shelled. Once shelled, walnuts can be chopped to the desired
size and used raw or cooked.
Go nuts
Walnuts are a well-known addition to many
desserts, but they also enhance savory dishes like grains, stuffing, salads, and stir-fries.
Fresh is best
Shelled and chopped walnuts can become rancid quickly and should be used within a week or be
refrigerated for up to six months or frozen for up to one year. For long-term storage,
it’s best to buy unshelled nuts.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Shelled walnuts can be used straight out of the package. Chopped walnuts are used
extensively in baking, especially in foods, such as brownies and cookies, where they are added
at the last stage of mixing. Walnuts are also a good addition to savory dishes, such as
grains, stuffing, salads, and stir-fries.
Buying and storing tips
Walnuts are available year-round. Two-thirds of world’s commercial walnuts are
produced in California. Walnuts are harvested in California beginning in August.
Walnuts are sold in-shell and shelled. Like most nuts and seeds, walnuts can be stored in a
cool, dark place for several months. Shelled and chopped walnuts can become rancid quickly and
should be used within a week or should be refrigerated for up to six months or frozen for up
to one year. For long-term storage, it’s best to buy unshelled nuts.
Varieties
There are about 15 edible varieties of walnuts, foremost among them is the Persian or
English variety. This flavorful and popular variety originated in the Middle East and does not
grow in England. They were called “English” because it was the English merchants
who transported the nuts to the colonies. Today, this variety is produced mostly in
California. English walnuts have a thin shell that is easily cracked, and the curly nutmeat
halves have a sweet flavor with a touch of the bitterness and astringency of the golden to
dark-brown edible skin. Other varieties include the black or American walnut, Chinese walnut,
Japanese walnut, and the butternut or white walnut. Black walnuts were a Native American
staple, with a sweet flavor and a hard, sticky shell that protects dark-skinned white
nutmeats.
Nutrition Highlights
Walnuts (black, dried), 1 Tbsp
Calories: 47.3
Protein: 1.9g
Carbohydrate: 0.94g
Total Fat: 4.4g
Fiber: 0.39g